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Turkey summons over Black Sea
Türkiye summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara after two attacks on Turkish-operated vessels in the Black Sea, with Turkish officials communicating their concerns to Ambassador Naryman Dzhelialo at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara on Saturday.
“Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkiye has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara”
The Turkish-operated container ship Lider Bordo Mavi was struck in the Black Sea on Wednesday off the coast of Tuapse, Russia, and the Lider Kocatepe was also targeted the next day while dispatched to assist.
Turkiye warned “the absolute need to ensure the safety of people, of assets, of navigation and of the environment in the Black Sea,” according to the ministry statement.
The meeting followed Turkish media reporting that the Lider Bordo Mavi was towed to the Turkish port of Samsun, as Ankara stressed the safety of navigation for commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
The incidents were described as part of a broader pattern of heightened risk in the Black Sea since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022, with attacks escalating as commercial Turkish ships were hit by drones thought to have been launched by Ukraine.
Names, warnings, and injuries
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday after the Lider Bordo Mavi was struck off the Russian port city of Tuapse on Aug. 26 and the Lider Kocatepe was targeted the following day.
During the meeting, Turkish officials stressed the necessity of ensuring the safety of life, property, navigation and the environment in the Black Sea, and issued the necessary warnings, according to Foreign Ministry sources cited by Anadolu Ajansı.
El Debate identified the Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara as Nariman Jalilov and said Turkey delivered “the necessary warnings,” while Anadolu Ajansı framed the same diplomatic step as a Turkish conveyance of reaction to the attacks.
İlke Haber Ajansı said the attacks occurred on August 26 and 27, when the Turkish ship “Lider Bordo Mavi” was hit near the city of Tuapse, followed by an attack on “Lider Kocatepe,” and the ministry did not specify whether there were any casualties.
Daily Sabah added that the Lider Bordo Mavi caught fire after being hit by three drones and that five crew members were injured, while the Lider Kocatepe was also targeted by a drone and sustained material damage before returning to Samsun.
Broader stakes for shipping
The Turkish Shipowners Association (TAB) report cited by El Debate said a total of 146 commercial ships have been damaged since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with incidents attributed to missile or drone strikes, drifting mines, and armed interceptions.
“a total of 146 commercial ships have been damaged”
El Debate further said the document highlighted a notable uptick in 2026, with 13 incidents in 2025 and 82 so far this year, while 34 of the 146 damaged ships were Turkish-owned or controlled and five flew the flag of that country.
Al Jazeera said Türkiye has been calling for a halt to attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea as Ukraine and Russia continue to target each other’s export revenues, and it noted that Ankara maintains relations with both Moscow and Kyiv while not applying Western sanctions on Russia.
Kurdistan24 reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for a “moratorium” on attacks in the Black Sea on August 8, warning that the conflict had expanded into a broader threat to commercial shipping.
In this context, TRT World said Türkiye conveyed to the Ukrainian ambassador the need to ensure the safety of life, property, navigation and the environment in the Black Sea, as Ankara sought to protect civilian shipping amid the Russia-Ukraine war’s spillover into maritime routes.